Wire fabric



Nov. 14, 1961 o. c. SCHERFEL 3,008,676

WIRE FABRIC 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 30, 1957 4 TTO/P/VFX Nov. 14, 1961 Filed July 50, 1957 O. C. SCHERFEL WIRE FABRIC 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

Msn/ 1 ATTO/PA/EX United States Patent O 3,008,676 WIRE FABRIC Otto lCarl Scherfel, Philadelphia, Pa., assignor to Manganese Steel Forge Company, Philadelphia, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Filed .Iuly 30, 1957, Ser. No. 675,133 7 Claims. (Cl. 24S- 6) This invention relates to manufacture of wire fabric, especially that formed of parallel cross rods and interlinking helically coiled wires of opposing twists closely interspersed along the rods.

Wire fabrics formed of helical coils, interspersed or nested with one another, and cross rods linked by the coils are useful for conveyer belts, as is well known. In order to prevent the pitch of the coils from imparting a lateral motion to the belt components as the belt moves longitudinally, it is common to balance the structure by including coils o-f offsetting right-hand and left-hand pitches or twists. In what is known as a simple balanced belt, coils of equal but opposite pitch alternate with one another along and link -pairs of Vadjacent cross rods, whereas similar belts in which groups of two or more coils of like twist alternate along the cross rods with like numbers of opposite twist, each coil also linking additional cross rods, are known as multiple balanced belts. Such belts will track true if properly installed; however, inasmuch as the essential fabric flexibility about the cross-rod axes is accompanied, in conventional balanced belts, by appreciable lateral play (i.e., limited, sidewise shifting of the components with respect to one another in the direction of the cross-rod parallelism), misalignment may exist upon completion of installation, with consequent ill effects upon the belt, thel drums or other driving means on which it .is mounted, and the materials or objects carried by the belt.

A primary object of the present invention is construction of a balanced wire fabric that can be installed as a conveyer belt without danger of misalignment. An object is improved treatment of the edge of a wire fabric having helical coils linked by straight cro-ss rods. A particular object is provision of la flexible Wire fabric free from side-play. Other objects of this invention, together with means and methods for attaining the various objects, will be apparent from the following description and the accompanying diagrams.

FIG. l is a plan view of la portion of conventional balanced wire fabric with portions of some of the component elements omitted for clarity of the representation; FIG. 2 is a longitudinal or sidewise elevation of the same fabric taken at 2-2 of FIG. l; and FIG. 3 is a transverse or endwise sectional elevation of the fabric of FIG. 1 taken at -3-3 thereof. FIG. 4 is `a perspective of balanced wire fabric undergoing treatment according to this invention, land FIG. 5 is -a front elevation of a portion of treating apparatus useful as shown in FIG. 4. FIG. 6 is a plan view of a portion of balanced wire fabric like that of FIG. l after treatment according to this invention by the apparatus of FIG. 5; FIG. 7 isa side elevation of the s-ame fabric taken at 7-7 of FIG. 6; and FIG. 8 is a transverse sectional elevation of the fabric of FIG. 6 taken in a vertical plane at 8-8 thereof. FIG. 9 is' a )front elevation of a portion of a modification of treating apparatus useful according to this invention; FIG. is a transverse sectional elevation of a portion of balanced wire fabric like that of FIG. 1 after treatment by the apparatus of FIG. 9; FIG. 1l is a front elevation of a portion of another modification of treating apparatus;

FIG. l2 is a transverse sectional elevation of like wire fabric after treatment according to the present invention by the apparatus of FIG. l1; and FIG. 13 is a further transverse sectional elevation of like fabric treated in somewhat dissimilar manner by the apparatus of FIG. 11.

3,008,676 Patented Nov. 14, 1961 In general, the objects of the present invention, as applied to a balanced wire fabric having helical coils and substantially straight cross rods, are -accomplished by distortion of the helically coiled wires so as to crowd adjacent coiled portions closely against one another lengthwise of the rods and thereby preclude lateral play of the fabric components. The invention contemplates particularly balanced wire fabrics having at least one face thereof crimped, swaged, or calendered in one or more lines` or narrow strips substantially paralleling the edges thereof.

FIG. l shows a strip (including the left-hand edge) of conventional wire fabric 10 composed of a sequence 0f parallel cross rods 11a, 11b, 11C, :11m linked by helical wires 12a, 12C, 12e, 12q of right-hand twist and similar helical wires 12b, 12d, 12], 12p of equal b-ut opposite or lefthand twist, arranged in the indicated alphabetical order beginning at the top of the view, portions of various of the helical wires being omitted to facilitate an understanding of the fabric pattern, in which each coil links live adjacent cross rods. The ends of the respective coils are welded to the ends of the similarly lettered cross rods to constitute convenient retaining means for the linking coil wires; the first three welds are omitted for clarity, leaving welds 13d, 13e, 13f, 13m.

The two helical coils terminating at the ends of adjacent cross rods are oppositely pitched, the oppositely obliquely directed wires giving the faces of the fabric a periodically breaking or reversing twill-like (or herring bone) appearance. Each coil wire links the cross rod upon which it terminates and the next four above it (as the fabric is oriented in the drawing), and passes about them in a `helical configuration of fixed pitch, the axis of each helical coil coinciding with that of the middle cross rod linked thereby. Adjacent turns are spaced slightly from one another in the transverse direction, i.e., length- Wise of the cross rods.

In general, each Wire links at least two of the rods and is located tangential to opposite sides of each rod linked thereby and at an oblique angle with respect to said parallel rods, with at least some of the wires linking each rod describing opposing oblique angles with respect thereto.

FIG. 2 shows part of the fabric of FIG. 1 viewed from. the left side edge, as indicated by the line 2 2. In transverse configuration, eac-h helical coil wire is iiattened along the faces of the fabric, locating the oblique portions of the coils tangential to opposite sides of each linked cross rod, so that the helix has unvarying major and lminor transverse axes; the minor transverse separation of turns in any coil equals the rod diameter, and the major transverse separation equals the spacing of the furthermost sides of the outer two cross rods in a set of five adjacent rods. The cross rods are obscured by the welds at their ends, and just to the left of each weld is visible a por- `tion of a bight of a more distant coil wire as it passes through an angle of about, rather than being merely tangential to, the rod itself.

`FIG. 3 shows the fabric of FIG. 1 in transverse (endwise) sectional elevation, i.e., fro-rn the bottom of that rst view, as indicated by the line 3-3. This reveals cross rod 11m surrounded by portions of lthe various linking coil wires, including wire 12m passing in a bight just in front of the rod and wire 12g doing the same immediately behind the rod, as well as wires 12m and 120 (of Iwhich only substantially horizontal portions are visible).

FIG. 4 shows one way of treating such wire fabric according to this invention. As illustrated, the treating apparatus comprises fabric-support 30' (illustrated schernatically as a plane surface), pair of wheels 31 and 32 spaced transversely from one another, and axle 33 upon which the wheels are mounted. Wheel 32 (identical to ldeparture in the reference numerals).

wheel 31) appears, along with a portion of the axle, in front elevation and on a larger scale in FIG. 5, which clearly shows peaked or straight-tapered peripheral surface 35 that contacts the fabric during treatment. During the treatment, movement of the axle in the direction indicated by the straight arrow, with the wheels resting on fabric (otherwise identical with fabric 14), previously shown and described) and rotating in the direction indicated by the curved arrow, distorts the helical coils at t-he twill reversal nearest each of the carefully aligned side edges of the fabric. For optimum effect, the wheels and axle are just heavy enough (or pressed downward suiciently by external means, not shown) to distort the wires adequately to remove lateral play without bending the coils against the cross rods so tightly as to eliminate the desired flexibility of the fabric about the cross rods.

FIG. 6 shows the effect of such treatment upon the face of a portion of fabric 20, including the side edge opposite that shown for the untreated fabric in FIG. 1. (In the interest of clarity, the reference numerals applied to this and the immediately succeeding views are larger by ten than those applied to corresponding elements of the untreated fabric in previous views.) Portions of cross rods 21a, 2lb, 21m are visible, the ends of alternate cross rods being wholly obscured by welds 2311, 23d, etc. Coil wires 22a, 22h, 22m are visible in part, terminating in welds 23a', 23b, 23m; also visible are lesser portions of coil wires 2,211, 22o, 22p, and 22q. At the furthest right twill reversal of the surface pattern in the fabric, indicated by line C-C, the top `of the bight of each of the coil wires exhibits a slight crimp or indentation, that of coil wire 22q being designated as Cq. This is accompanied by a slight widening (in plan) of the coil wire and by `sidewise distortion of it from the original straight oblique direction, as well; hence the absence of separation between adjacent coil wires, here shown crowded against one another.

FIG. 7 shows the fabric from the right side edge as indicated by line 7 7 of FIG. 6. The appearance is largely the same as that of the untreated fabric in FIG. 2 except that the corresponding coil Wires leave the welds in the opposite direction, inasmuch as the opposite edge of fabric Yis shown. However, depressed portions of coil -wires beyond the plane of the View are visible between alternate pairs of welds and just below the horizontal portions of ithe -terminating wires. Thus, at the right of the View, wire 22g is visible just below the horizontal portion of wire 22e and on the near side of the bight of wire 22h, which itself passes about the cross rod (21d) terminated .by the -weld 23d.

Such depression of a portion of each wire is a concomitant of the force applied to the outer surface during the described treatment. The depression occurs immediately alongside the cross rods, which themselves do not `yield appreciably and,` thus, are not deformed. The resulting distortion brings the opposite portions of the depressed wires closer together, each wire then describing somewhat more than a 180 turn about the closest cross .rod linked by it. Between alternate pairs of welds in FIG. 7 the depressed portions of coils having left-hand twist are concealed behind the bights of iight-hand coils;

thus, the depressed portion of wire 22h is out of sight ybehind t-he bight of wire 221, where it passes about the cross rod (2li) that terminates in weld 231'. Depressed portions of wire 22k, 22m, and 22o also are apparent.

FIG. 8 shows the fabric of IFIG. 6 in endwise sectional elevation, corresponding to the View of the untreated fabric in FG. 3 (with'the previously indicated However, at the top face of the fabric, outermost coil wire 22g is indented, as designated at Cq', in conformity with the change in its configuration also indicated in FIG. 6. Like crimping or indentation of adjacent wire 22p behind the plane of the view is concealed by Wire 22q.

When all the elements of a balanced fabric such as that illustrated in the drawings, are assembled and properly aligned for treatment according to this invention, the resulting distortion of the coil wires is adequate to retain that alignment regardless of the flexing involved in (for example) rolling the fabric for shipment, unrolling it, and installing it as the belt of a conveyor. This alignment ensures proper functioning of the conveyor belt without wandering or unevenness in operation, even though after a relatively short running-in the belt may exhibit restored lateral play of the coil wires with respect to one another and to the rods.

The fabric conventionally is assembled by interspersing the helical coils in a reasonably close approximation of the ultimate nested position, with adjacent coil wires transversely adjacent one another, inserting the cross rods parallel to one another at the appropriate intervals, and sealing off the ends of the rods, as by welding the ends of the respective coil wires to the ends of the rods, all as is well known in the art. It is apparent that any attempt to distort the coil wires to remove side-play before completion of the assembly would be impracticable, inasmuch as the coils must be open enough to permit ready lateral movement between them and the rods during insertion of the rods, and the ends of the coils must be restrained from shifting with respect to the rods before the coil wires can be crowded together.

Although the above description has included mention of at least three kinds of distortion effected by treatment of wire fabric according to this invention (viz., surface indentation, sidewise displacement, and depressio-n below the fabric face), in a particular fabric any one or two of these or similar distortions may suffice for satisfactory elimination of side-play. Under ordinary conditions the maximum distortion in any direction will not exceed the diameter of the wire itself. The elasticity and resilience of the coil wires, relative sizes of wires and cross rods, amount and direction of applied pressure, and size and surface shape of the pressure-applying element are perhaps the primary determining factors. A person having ordinary skill in the art, upon considering a given fabric, can readily select apparatus appropriate -for treating it according to this invention and manipulate or actuate the apparatus as suggested to attain satisfactory results. If desired, the distorting tool may be slid along the face of the fabric, instead of being rolled, or it may be forced downward against the face in an impact action, either of vwhich variations in procedure will permit obvious deviations from wheel-like configuration for the tool itself.

FIG. 9 shows from `the front wheel-like element 32' mounted on axle 33', closely resembling the similar apparatus of FIG. 5. However, here peaked peripheral surface 35' has sides that are concave, instead of straight, a modification that produces a somewhat different distortion in the treated fabric, as may be expected, illustrated in the next view.

FIG. `l0 shows in transverseV sectional elevation the appearance of fabric (otherwise like previously shown fabric 2G) after treatment of the top face thereof, at the reversal nearest the right edge, with the device of FIG. 9. To distinguish the elements of this fabric from corresponding elements of the treated fabric of the immediately preceding views the reference numerals of FIG. l0 are primed. Instead of mere indentation or crimping of the contacted wires, considerable spacing or spreading of them is apparent, as designated by S in the gap between wires 22p and 22q. Not visible in this View but readily imaginable is the accompanying torsional distorpression of the coil wires is only incidental, as the primary distortion eifected by the concavely tapered element is a sidewise displacement, and surface indentation likewise is slight or absent. The objectionable side-play iS removed effectively, nevertheless.

FIGS. lil and 12 show in like manner another modication of apparatus and the result of its use in treating wire fabric otherwise like that shown previously (with reference numerals here double-primed for ready distinction). Wheel-like element 32" mountedl on axle 33" has flat peripheral surface 35 paralleling the axle, thus resembling a narrow calendering roll. Application of this apparatus along the same reversal of the fabric produces a trough-like depression, as designated by T between displaced wires 22p and 22q. Of course, unlike the configuration last described, here the treated wires are depressed considerably below the face of the fabric but displaced to the sides only slightly. Consequently, as may fbe visualized without difliculty, even more depression of the fabric would be evident from the side edge than shown in FIG. 7 for the crimped fabric (rst described), and a corresponding sunken path of width approximating the width of the peripheral treating surface would be visible in a plan View. The attendant inhibition of lateral shifting is similarly satisfactory.

The apparatus of FIG. ll may be applied to the same untreated fabric along a different treating location to produce the treated fabric shown in transverse vsectional elevation in lFIG. 13 (with the corresponding elements designated by like reference numerals triplefprirned to obviate any possibility of confusion). Instead of proceeding along the rightmost reversal of the fabric pattern, the wheel-like element or roll here was applied just to the left of that reversal, i.e., centered between it and the adjacent reversal. The result is an intervening fiat-bottomed depression, designated as U in this view, in which the coil wires (most apparently 22n" and ZZp", shown in section at this location) are lodged against the top of the cross rod (21mm). A similar, though inverted, depression is apparent in this view immediately underneath this portion of the cross rod; it is the result of like treatment of the underside of the fabric.

Treatment of the fabric according to this invention along both faces, instead of only one, may be accomplished conveniently by supporting the fabric in proper alignment with the edge or edges to be treated extending beyond the support and treating opposite faces of the fabric simultaneously by passage between opposed wheels or equivalent tools arranged in a pair (one above and one below the Ifabric) at each treating location. Similarly, the number of crimping locations widthwise of the fabric (as well as the extent of the crimping) may be altered. In the instance of a narrow belt, one pass over the surface with a single crimping wheel or equivalent tool may suice, and Iwhen a single crimping element is used, it may be located midway between the side edges of the fabric so as to equalize the sidewise crowding of the coil wires. Often, as suggested, treatment near each of the edges is most convenient; however, three or more treating locations may be used satisfactorily, especially for the wider fabrics.

In any event, it is most convenient to perform the crimping at one of the reversals of the characteristic twill-like fabric pattern and to proceed in the convergent direction, as illustrated (1FIG. 4), which aids in maintaining the alignment. The actual patterns of fabric amenable to the practice of this invention are widely variable, though generally involving cross rods linked by wires passing obliquely of the rods in opposite directions, but application of the invention to them will be readily apparent. Alternative end-retaining means (instead of the direct welding of coil wire to cross rod) may be employed without rendering the fabric unsuitable for treatment according to this invention. Coils of varying pitches or of a plurality of pitches may replace some or all of the illustrated coils of equal A'(though opposite) unvarying pitch, and the various coils or portions thereof may link more or fewer cross rods, as may be desired. Each coil need not extend clear across the fabric, which may be made up of a plurality of transversely adjacent obliquely oriented shorter coils or simple links, instead. Other varieties of fabric design not precluding application of the present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

vThe claimed invention:

l. A balanced tlexible conveyer belt comprising a plurality of mutually parallel rods extending transversely of the belt, a plurality of helically coiled wires which form a plurality of links between said rods, each wire linking at least two of the rods and being located tangentially to opposite sides of the rods linked thereby and at an oblique angle with respect to said rods, retaining means securing the ends of each wire to the corresponding ends of one of the rods linked thereby, and a series of said links extending lengthwise of the belt and being distorted in the direction perpendicular to the surface of the belt to dispose said distorted links below said surface, to crowd non-series links together transversely of the belt in abutting relationship, whereby to prevent transverse shifting of the Ilinks and of the belt and to stitfen the belt during installation thereof.

2. A balanced flexible conveyer belt comprising a plurality of mutually parallel rods extending transversely of the belt, a plurality of helically coiled wires which form a plurality of links between said rods, each wire linking at least two of the rods and being located tangentially to opposite sides of the rods linked thereby and at an oblique angle with respect to said rods, retaining means securing the ends of each wire to the corresponding ends of one of the rods linked thereby, a series of said links extending lengthwise of said belt being each flattened so as to have a wider transverse extent than a non-series link, and a multiplicity of non-series links being crowded together transversely of the belt in abutting relationship by said series of attened links, whereby t0 prevent transverse shifting of the links and of the belt and to stiften the belt during installation thereof.

3. A balanced exible conveyer belt comprising a plurality of mutually parallel rods extending transversely of the belt, a lplurality of helically coiled wires which lform a plurality of links between said rods, each wire linking at least two of the rods and being located tangentially to opposite sides of the rods linked thereby and at an oblique angle with respect to said rods, retaining means securing the ends of each wire to the corresponding ends of one of the` rods linked thereby, a series of pairs of consecutive links extending lengthwise of said belt with the links of each pair spaced apart from each other in the direction of an associated rod, and a multiplicity of nonseries links being crowded together transversely of the belt in abutting relationship by said series of spaced-apart links, whereby to prevent transverse shifting of the links and of the belt and to stiffen the belt `during installation thereof.

4. A balanced flexible conveyer belt comprising a plurality of helical wires of right-hand twist and a plurality of similar helical wires of left-hand twist closely interspeirsed with one another on mutually parallel axes, a plurality of rods aligned on similarly oriented axes, with the helical wires forming a plurality of links which link the rods, retaining means Securing the ends of each wire to the corresponding ends of one of the rods linked thereby, and means, comprising a series of said links of a laterally greater dimension than the non-series links extending longitudinally of the belt, for crowding nonseries links together transversely of the belt in abutting relationship, two of said series extendingl lengthwise of said belt, and one of said series being located near each edge of said belt, whereby to prevent lateral shifting of the links and of the belt and to stiten the belt during install-ation thereof.

5. In the manufacture of a balanced flexible conveyer belt in which helical wires of right-hand twist and of lefthand twist are interspersed with one another on mutually parallel axes and are joined by rods extending in the direction parallel to said axes, the improvement comprising assembling the helical wires closely on the rods to form a plurality of links between' said rods, attaching the ends of each wire to the ends of one of the rods, rolling a series of said links lengthwise of the belt to distort said rolled links in the direction perpendicular to the surface of the belt to dispose said distorted links below said belt surface and thereby crowd non-series links together transversely of the belt in abutting relationship, whereby to prevent lateral shifting of the links and of the belt and to stiiien the belt during installation thereof.

v 6. In the manufacture of -a balanced ilexible conveyer belt formed of a plurality of helical wires of right-hand twist and of left-hand twist closely interspersed with one another on mutually parallel axes, and a plurality of rods parallel to said axes, with each of said Wires attached to the ends of one of the rods and forming a plurality of links which link two or more of said rods together, the steps comprising forcibly applying a relatively narrow tool compared to the width of the belt against at least one face of the belt after complete assembly thereof, flattening a link contacted by the tool against an associated rod to dispose said flattened link below the surface of said belt, said flattened link crowding together, transversely of the belt, the other links associated with said rod, and similarly applying the tool at successive locations longitudinally of the belt to form a series of flattened links disposed below the surface of the belt which crowd the links of the belt together to prevent lateral shifting of the links and of the belt and to stiften the belt during installation thereof.

7. In the manufacture of a balanced flexible conveyed' belt in which helical wir-es of right-hand twist and of left-hand twist are interspersed with one another on mutually parallel axes and -are joined by rods extending in the direction parallel to said axes, the improvement compr-ising assembling the helical wires closely on the rods to form a plurality of links between said rods, attaching the ends of the wires to the ends of the rods, applying a relatively narrow tool compared to the width of the belt against at least one face of the belt, and separating consecutive links :and causing them to be spaced apart along their lassociated -rod to crowd non-series links together transversely of the belt, whereby to prevent lateral shifting of the links and of the belt and to stiften the belt during installation thereof.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 274,611 Johnstone Mar. 27, 1883 1,784,786 Durand Dec. 9, 1930 1,809,023 Conner June 9, 1931 2,147,328 Scherfel Feb. 14, 1939 2,255,452 Pink Sept. 9, 1941 2,292,411 Sutton Apr. 11, 1942 

